NASA artifacts and a piece of the Hindenburg go up for auction

While a glove belonging to the second man on the moon might be a curiosity to most, a collector may soon pay thousands to own it. The upcoming 7th Space and Aviation Autograph and Artifact Auction will feature a massive catalogue of over 600 other relics from aerospace history. Though no individual item truly stands out, the scope of the auction spans nearly a century of progress in space and aviation.

Beginning May 15th, historical memorabilia like a manuscript written by one of the Wright brothers, a metal fragment of the ill-fated Hindenburg, Charles Lindbergh's autobiography, and a signed photograph of Amelia Earhart will be put on sale. Some of the most expensive items in the auction originate from space exploration's past. The rotational hand controller from Apollo 15's Lunar Module Falcon sits atop of that list with a starting bid of $10,000.

Other items include a miniature reproduction of the Declaration of Independence that journeyed to the moon, American flags that have been flown into space, gold foil from the Apollo 13 Odyssey command module, and an Apollo 11 checklist signed by Buzz Aldrin. "This sheet has been in my private collection since 1969," he writes in an accompanying letter.

The week-long event organized by RR Auction will end May 22nd.

This is one of the seven articles published by aviation pioneer Wilbur Wright. Wilbur Wright's signature, along with notations made by his brother Orville Wright, can be found on the manuscript.
A piece of debris from the 1937 Hindenburg disaster that was recovered from the wreckage by Chief William A. Buckley of the US Navy.
A signed photograph of Amelia Earhart, the first female aviator to fly alone across the Atlantic Ocean.
Hailing from the estate of Albred Lodwick, this trifecta of items was carried by billionaire Howard Hughes during his 1938 around-the-world flight.
Produced by the Isavey Design Bureau, this unfired Isayev S2.720A bi-propellant regenerative thrust chamber was "developed for use in the second stage of the Soviet S-75M Surface to Air Missile (SAM) system."
Designing to keep the cosmonaut alive in case of depressurization, the Sokol KM Rescue Suit was based on the first version of the Russian space suit used on Soyuz 12. It is being sold with its helmet, boots, gloves and cables.
Cosmonaut Aleksander Volkov's long duration flight suit from his Soyuz TM-13 mission is available for purchase. It even comes with a letter of authenticity.
Possessions belonging to General Andrey Grigoryevich Karas, who served as the first Commander of the Russian Space Troops, are a part of the upcoming auction. Included is a porcelain vase depicting the history of his service.
Among other items, a NASA-issued lunar "comfort" glove worn by Buzz Aldrin, the second person to walk on the moon, during the first lunar landing will be up for purchase.
This double-sided checklist, used by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, has been in Aldrin's possession since 1969, the year Apollo 11 landed on the moon.
This miniature reproduction of the Declaration of Independence was flown on the Apollo 11 mission. It also includes a handwritten letter of provenance from Michael Collins stating, “This small copy of the Declaration of Independence was carried to the moon aboard Apollo XI.”
This printed fabric American flag was taken to the South Pole in 1970 and then flown in lunar orbit for 6 days in 1971. It is part of Dave Scott's personal collection.
A photograph of James Lovell, the commander of the Apollo 13 mission. "Houston, we have a problem," is written on the photograph along with his signature.
The Rotational Hand Controller used by Dave Scott to land Apollo 15's Lunar Module on the Hadley Rille landing site. The starting bid for the controller, which is described to be in "fine condition," is $10,000.
The Crewman Optical Alignment Sight that was installed in the Lunar Module Falcon during Apollo 15 has a starting bid of $2,500. It was used by Dave Scott for "rendezvous, docking, star sightings and horizon alignment during the Lunar module phases of the mission."
This St. Christopher statue, which measures an inch in height, was taken to the moon by Charlie Duke, the lunar module pilot for Apollo 16.
An Apollo Program two-terminal console that was used in a support room of the Johnson Space Center in Houston. This console was used during the Challenger explosion in 1986, according to RR Auction, and can be seen in the film "Apollo 13."